Twitter has added a feature to edit tweets in the biggest change since the microblogging platform got widely accepted as a platform for sharing information, even by governments.The edit button will initially be rolled out for the Twitter Blue subscribers, the social media platform announced.
Until now, content once tweeted could not be edited. It had to be tweeted again to reflect changes.
Edit Tweet is currently being tested by Twiiter team internally, amid the ongoing legal battle with Tesla CEO Elon Musk over the cancellation of the $44 billion takeover deal.
"Given that this is our most requested feature to date, we wanted to both update you on our progress and give you and a heads up that, even if you're not in a test group, everyone will still be able to see if a Tweet has been edited," the company said in a statement.
The edit label will include a complete edit history, with past versions of the edited tweet. Twitter says it’s testing editable tweets with a small group initially to capture any early issues. “This includes how people might misuse the feature. You can never be too careful,” says Twitter.
How will the 'edit' option work?
The edit button will allow users to make changes to existing tweets for up to 30 minutes after publishing.
The published tweet will carry identifiers like a label, timestamp, and icon denoting that the tweet has been edited. Twitter users will also be able to click the tweet and see all the changes made to the original content.
Notably, in an interview with Wired in 2020, the then Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had said the company would "probably never" add the "edit tweet" feature as it could aid in the spread of misinformation.
Facebook, Instagram, Medium, and many other platforms include edit buttons, and there aren’t many high-profile examples of abuse.
(To receive our E-paper on whatsapp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
